"We need an app" is one of the most common — and most expensive — assumptions in a software project. Here is what each option really is, and how to choose.
The three options in plain language
- Website — pages that tell people about your business and help them contact or buy from you. Mostly read, rarely logged into. Found through Google.
- Web application — software that runs in the browser where users log in and do work: billing, bookings, dashboards, portals. No install needed.
- Mobile app — software installed from Google Play or the App Store, with full access to the phone's features.
And a fourth, often the best answer: a progressive web app (PWA) — a web app that can be added to the home screen, sends notifications and works like an app, without an app store.
Side-by-side
| Website | Web app | PWA | Store app | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main job | Be found, inform, get enquiries | Do work after logging in | App-like access from a link | Deep phone features, store presence |
| Found on Google | Yes | Public pages only | Public pages only | No (app stores instead) |
| Install needed | No | No | Optional | Yes |
| Push notifications | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Updates | Instant | Instant | Instant | Through store review |
| Typical cost in India | ₹25k – 2.5 lakh | ₹3 lakh+ | ₹1.5 – 5 lakh | ₹4 – 12 lakh (MVP) |
A simple way to decide
- Do strangers need to find you? You need a website. Every business does.
- Do your staff, customers or partners need to log in and do something? You need a web app.
- Will they use it often on their phones, and should you be able to notify them? Make the web app a PWA.
- Do you need Bluetooth devices, heavy offline use, background location, or app-store discovery? Then build a store app.
A real example
The parent app in our school management software is a PWA: parents open a link, add it to the home screen and get notifications about attendance and fees. Schools avoided asking hundreds of parents to install an app from a store — and every update reaches everyone instantly.
Common mistakes
- Building a store app when customers visit once a month — they won't install it.
- Building two separate native apps (Android and iOS) when one cross-platform codebase would do.
- Forgetting the website: an app nobody can find on Google has to buy every user through ads.
Not sure which you need? Describe your idea and we'll recommend the simplest option that works — even if it's the cheapest one.
